Method of making wire-wrapped belts



Jan. 16, 1951 M. A. CROSBY 2,538,414

METHOD OF MAKING WIREWRAPPED BELTS Original Filed March 8, 1943 MELVIN ACRQSBY.

I ATTOREYS Patented Jan. 16, 1 951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING WIRE-WRAPPED BELTS Melvin A. Crosby, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Dayton Rubber Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application March 8, 1943, SerialNo.

478,433, new Patent No. 2,411,027, dated November 12, 1946. Divided and this application July 24, 1946, Serial No. 683,041 I 7 Claims.

This invention refers to a method of making belts, and more particularly of making a V-type grooves transverse of the longitudinalaxis of the belt on either the top or the bottom surfaces or on both for the purpose of increasing the flexibility orto reduce internal stresses when the belt passes over pulleys of small diameter, thereby insuring a cooler running belt and a greater service life.

The nature of the presentinvention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection withthe annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a single belt V-drive;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a multiple belt V-drive;

Fig/3 is a perspective view of the dual metal cloth tubes employed in the manufacture of the belt of this invention;

Fig. '4 is a cross sectional view of a roughly formed belt body prior to vulcanization made according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view illustrating one manner of molding the belt of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view'of the finished belt made by the method of the present invention; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of'another belt made by the method of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, in Fig. 1, l represents a belt made by the method of the present invention passing over pulleys or sheaves H and I2 as in a single belt drive, while in Fig. 2, I3 represents a plurality of beltsmade according to the present invention passing over pulleys or sheaves I4 and I as in a multiple belt drive.

Fig. 3 illustrates integrally woven wire cloth tubes or sleeves l6 and I1 providing compartments l8, l9 and 20. and are adapted to comprise the tension, neutral axis and compression sections of a belt, respectively. In the practice of the present invention a layer of rubber composition is inserted by extrusion or otherwise in the compartment 18, a similar layer including a plurality of parallelly laidcords is inserted in the compartment l9 by The compartments l8, it

similar means, and a third layer of rubber composition is inserted by similar means in the compartment 20.

The structure of Fig. 3, after the several layers havebeen inserted in compartments l8, l9 and 20 is subjected to a forming operation to give it the general configuration of a V-belt and in the course of this operation the compartments [8, l9

and 20 are deformed and molded to the general shape illustrated in Fig. 4. The layer of rubber composition which was inserted in the compartment I 8 becomes the tension layer 2|, the layer of rubber composition which was inserted in the compartment I9 becomes the neutral axis section' 22 reinforced with the parallelly laid cords 23, and the layer of rubber composition inserted in the compartment 20 becomes the compression section 24 of the belt; The deformation of thedual tubes l5 and I? provides the structure illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the tension, neutral axis and compression sections of the belt are each surrounded by and reinforced with the woven wire cloth which originally formed the dual tubes [6 and I1.

The roughly formed V-belt of Fig; 4 is then placed in a mold as shown in Fig. 5. The mold consists ofa fixed section 25 and a removable section 26. The belt of Fig. 4 is placed in position between the mold s ctions 25 and 26 and a wet wrapper of fabric 2! is'w-ound around the periphery of the mold. The mold is then placed in a vulcanizer wherein the evaporation of moisture from the wet wrapper 27' causes shrinkage of said wrapper 27 and the exertion of pressure on the belt body within the mold. At the end of the vulcanizing period, the belt body is removed from the mold and the resulting product is substantially as shown in Fig. 6.

It will be noted from Fig. 6 that duringthe vulcanizing operation, due to the influence of heat and. pressure, part of a rubber composition forming the tension, neutral axis and compression sections 25, 22 and 24, respectively, is squeezed or pushed out through the woven wire cloth surrounding th belt body, so that, in effect, the finished belt includes a thin outer coating or covering of rubber 28. Therefore, when passing over a sheave or pulley the frictional engagement is between the pulley faces and the thin rubber coating on the side walls of the belt. After this thinrubber coating wears down, the woven metal cloth is exposed and comes into contact with the pulley faces, but sufhcient rubber remains in the apertures between the individual strands of wire of the metal cloth toprovide frictional engagement between the rubber of the belt and the metal of the pulley.

It will be understood that it is advantageous that the woven. wire dual tubes have the wiresrunning at a bias in order that maximum stretch or flexibility may be imparted; to'the belt as it passes over sheaves or pulleys of small diameter.

It will be understood also that instead of using integrally woven dual tubes, the individual sections of the belt (see Figure-7, tensionsection of metal cloth 35. The resultingstructure-would be substantially the same in effectas the struc-- ture which has been illustrated in the annexed drawing and described hereinbefore, but it would be stronger and in some instances more satisfac--- tory from the point of View of manufacturing.

In describing and illustratingin the drawing the mold employed in. carrying outthe present invention, a mold adapted to producaaplainV- belt has been described and illustrated,'b"-.it,those skilled in the art will understandithatamold adapted to produce cogs andgroovesontheum derside or onthe outer. sideoronboth sidesof the belt could be substituted for.the,,.produc.tion of coggedor grooved belts.

,The cords 23 forming part of theneutrallaxis section 22' may comprise thinlmetal wires or cables .or cords, made, of organicfibrous material such as cotton or rayon or of. inorganic fibrous material suchas fine glass fiber. Obviously, more than onelayer of. cords may be employed if necessary, the choice depending onthetype ofbelt being, manufacturedand the service. in which it is to be employed.

Whilethere. have been described herein and illustrated in the drawingcertain particular embodiments. oithis invention, it is notintendedthat this invention 1 be limited to or circumscribed. by

the specific details herein described or illustrated a in the drawings in view of the fact that this .invention is susceptible to modifications depending on. individual preference and conditions without departing. from thespirit of this disclosure and thetscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a belt which comprises. forming. three hollow tubular superimposed sections of metal cloth, filling said two outer sections with rubber materialand said intermediate section with rubber material reinforced by a plurality of cords parallelly arranged to each other and to the longitudinal axis of said tubes, wrapping said superimposed filled sections with a wet cloth, and vulcanizing the assembled parts under heat and-pressure whereby a unitary article is formed.

\ 2. The method of making a belt which comprises forming three hollow tubular superimposed sections of metal cloth, all of thethreads of said metal cloth being arranged in an angle to the longitudinal axis of said tubular sections, filling said two outer sections with rubber materialand said intermediate section with rubber material reinforced by a plurality of cordsparallelly arranged to each other and to the longitudinalaxis of eaidtubes, wrapping said superimposedfilled. sections with a wet cloth, and vulcanizing the assembled parts under. heat and pressure where;- by a unitary articleis formed.

3. The method of making a belt which comprises forming three hollow tubular superimposed sections of metal cloth, filling said two outer sec tions with rubber material and said intermediate section with rubber material reinforced by a plurality of cords parallelly arranged tozeach other and to the longitudinal axis of said tubes, said filling operation: being carried out by extrusion, wrapping said superimposed filled sections with a wet cloth, and vulcanizing the assembled parts under heat and pressure whereby a unitary article is formed.

4. The method of making a belt which comprises forming three hollow tubular superimposed sections of metal cloth, filling said two outer sections with rubber material and said intermediate section with rubber material reinforced by a plurality of cords parallelly arranged to each other and to the longitudinal axis of said tubes, wrapping said superimposed filled sections with a wet cloth, and'vulcanizing the assembled parts under. heat and pressure whereby a unitary ar ticle is formed and part of the rubber is squeezed through the. interstices of said metalcloth and a thin outer rubber coating is obtained on the surfaceof said belt.

5. A method of making a belt which comprises forming a plurality. of compartments of woven wire, placing a layer of rubber composition adapted to form a tension section in one of said compartments, placing a layer of rubber compo, sition reinforced with parallelly-laidcords adaptedto form'a neutral axissection-in another of said compartments, placing a layer oi rubber composition adapted'to form a compression section in another of said compartments, pressing the resulting body to a rough predetermined shape whereby said layers adapted-to form tension, neutral axis and compression sections, respectively, are caused to lie in superimposed substantially parallel position with respect to each other, and vulcanizing said roughly formed articleunder the influence of heat and pressure to form a unitary belt structure.

6. The method of making a belt which comiprises wrapping a layer of rubber composition adapted to form a tension section in woven metal cloth, wrapping a layer of rubber composition comprising a plurality of cords laid parallel to each other adapted-to form a neutral axis section in woven metal cloth, wrapping a layer of rubber composition-adapted to form a compression section in woven wire cloth, placing said wrapped layer adapted to form a neutral axis section between the said other two layers, wrapping the superposed layers in woven metal cloth, and vulcanizing the resulting body under heat and pressure to form a unitary article.

7. The method of making a belt having tension, neutral axis, and compression sections comprising rubber composition which comprises individually'surrounding each of the said sections with a wrapper of metal cloth, and also surrounding'the entire belt with a Wrapper of metal cloth, and vulcanizing the resulting assembly into an integral unit.

MELVIN A. CROSBY.

a, an IREr .c chi-lune 31;.

The following references are of record in the idle of this patent:

UNITED STATE-S PATENTS 

